Same-Sex Marriage, Social Cohesion, and Canadian Values: A Media Analysis

Abstract

This article considers issues of social cohesion, national identity, and national values as they appeared in Canadian newspaper coverage of the same-sex marriage debate between September 2003 and the federal election of June 2004. Media reports in Canada about the issue of same-sex marriage reflected a range of reactions. For some, same-sex marriage was a symbol of fracture, of a split in the country over core values—a split that could undermine the very commonality that makes Canada a society. For others, same-sex marriage was an affirmation of the high value Canadians place on equality and diversity. This article examines the roles played by newspapers in their coverage of same-sex marriage as it relates to Canadian values and social cohesion.